Liquid sample or liquid reagent reservoirs are commonly used in clinical and research laboratory applications. The reservoirs sit the flat deck surface of a laboratory workbench, and typically contain a basin for directly receiving and holding a liquid sample or reagent for use by the laboratory worker. Some reservoir kits use disposable inserts or liners. The dimensions of the basin are quite often chosen in order to accommodate use of the reservoir with, not only single channel pipettes, but also multi-channel pipettes. Thus, it is not unusual for the reservoir and its basin to be elongated, as desired, to accommodate use with 8-channel or a 12-channel pipette. Also, it is typical that reservoir basins include a narrow longitudinal trough along the bottom surface at its centerline to minimize the dead volume. Sometimes, the troughs are sloped to a single low point in order to further minimize dead volume, although this is not preferred when the system is designed for multi-channel use. Quite often, the sidewall of the reservoir includes liquid volume graduation marks, either molded into the sidewall or printed thereon.
The use of disposable reservoir liners can avoid the need to clean and/or sterilize reservoirs before starting a new procedure. Known liners are made of opaque vacuum formed plastic, and generally comprise a basin that follows the contour of the reusable reservoir base. The liner typically includes a peripheral flange that extends outward around the upper end of the basin. With this geometry, such disposable liners must be used in connection with a supporting base because the liners are unable to stand vertically on a flat surface without the support of the base. Nevertheless, many laboratory workers find that using reservoir kits with disposable liners can be quite helpful for many procedures.